Oh, really?
by LadyCash
Summary: After a questionable goodbye to Kouga, Kagome is challenged by InuYasha. How will she respond, and what will he think?


Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha or his companions. They belong to Rumiko Takahashi and others.

Thank you so much to my wonderful beta, Roxotaku.

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Finally, the end had come. With Kagura gone, Kouga no longer had a stake in seeing Naraku dead, and was returning to his den, and his people.

But a couple of last things remained undone - Kagome, and the shards.

And so the warm summer sunshine found him, proud of posture and bold of attitude, with Kagome's small hands in his own. The miko knew as well that this was goodbye, and so made no protest at his nearness. Both ignored the low growling coming from the hanyou behind them.

"Kagome, my love, it is time." Kouga's dark eyes twinkled with merriment, delighting in every word. "You will always be special in my heart, but its' time that I return to my people, and begin to rebuild."

There was a snort from behind, and then a barely disguised 'It's about time'.

Pulling the miko's hands close to his chest, the ookami leaned close. "I have truly cherished our many moments together, and I want you to know that no one will ever take your place."

The growling increased in volume. The wolf could barely contain a smirk.

His voice lowered in volume, scandalously intimate.

"If you should need me, you have only to send for me, and your every desire will be fulfilled."

At this, the growling erupted into a savage snarl, and Kouga leapt away, barely avoiding the hanyou's razor sharp claws, as they slashed viciously at him.

"Just hand over the shards, you mangy bastard, and get the hell out of here."

InuYasha's words were thick, punctuated as they were by snarls and growls. His hand itched to pull Tessaiga.

Kagome sighed. Could not even a simple goodbye be performed in peace?

She was reluctant to do it, but seeing the hanyou reaching for his sword, as the wolf began to taunt him, she had no choice.

"InuYasha, osuwari."

A frustrated snarl was her answer, as he bit the dirt heavily.

Sighing again, Kagome stepped over his prone body, and over to Kouga.

Wanting this done, her voice was soft but firm.

"Kouga, the shards, please?"

Barely containing his bark of laughter at the dirt kissing hanyou, the wolf once again captured the miko's hands in his own.

"Of course, my love. As you wish."

So saying, Kouga gave a final caress to her hands, before bending down and plucking the kakera from his legs. In truth, he was not sorry to see them go. They had served him well, but it was time to stand on his own power. The incident with his ancestors, and receiving the Goraishi, had taught him that.

Stepping up to the girl again, he tenderly placed the gleaming shards into Kagome's palm, making sure to gaze deeply into her eyes as he did so. The response was both immediate, and expected.

"Damn filthy cur, I said-"

But InuYasha never finished either his words or his actions, as another osuwari brought him down. Deciding that it was time to finish this, and the quicker the better, Kagome

gathered her thoughts and spoke.

"I'm very grateful for all your help, Kouga. You've been a very good friend to us all."

Muttered grumblings could be heard from the InuYasha crater.

The miko ignored these, however, and pressed on. Just this final thing, and Kouga would be out of their lives.

"My hope is for you and your people to recover, replenish, and to grow even stronger. I know, with you as their leader, that this will happen. Always be happy, Kouga."

The words said, Kagome went up on her toes, hands resting against the wolf's broad chest, and kissed him gently on the mouth.

The ookami was speechless, as were the miko's companions. Not even the hanyou made a sound.

Giving him a small smile, Kagome stepped back, the shards still in her hand. Turning to Kouga's companions, she bid them a safe journey, and good fortune as well.

The wolf prince blushed slightly, his hand rising as if to touch her, but then fell. Seeing the resolution in her eyes, he nodded once, turned, and disappeared in a cloud of dust, his sidekicks in his wake.

Bracing herself for the coming storm, Kagome faced her companions.

Most were a mixture of slack jawed shock, and growing apprehension. Not even Shippou dared say a word.

The hanyou stood with his back to them, but Kagome had no doubt, from his rigid posture, that he had seen that kiss.

_Oh, boy,_ she thought, _this is gonna be bad._

"Well, guys, now that that's done, let move on, shall we?" Kagome's voice, even to her ears, was unnaturally cheerful.

Giving her a last incredulous glance, the group, minus their leader, gathered their things and made ready to leave. Kagome stepped over to InuYasha, after having placed the shards in her bottle with the others.

"Are you ready, InuYasha?" her voice was soft, knowing he was upset.

Perhaps when they were alone, she could explain, and soothe him.

But the hanyou jerked away from her, silent. Without looking at her, he barked his command to move out. The miko was left to stare at his rapidly retreating back, and to seek travel from Kirara. It was going to be a long day.

SSSSSSSSSS

Several hours later, and the tension could be cut with a knife. InuYasha still refused to speak to Kagome, or even look at her. Sango and Miroku watched with increasing frustration in their eyes. Kagome had tried to talk with the hanyou, but was coolly rebuffed.

Her persistence only won her a snarl and a single, bitter glance, before the hanyou leapt for the trees. Sighing, her brows drawn tight, the miko returned to the group, and their lunch.

It was Shippou that brought things to a head, and changed things for the group forever.

He had watched and waited, scheming and plotting, for just the right time to act.

They were again packing up, ready to move out, and the hanyou had once again denied Kagome his back. Shippou uttered a low and angry and angry growl. Enough was enough.

_Baka InuYasha, can't he see how wrong he is?_ The kitsune thought.

The kit, as well as the others, knew that InuYasha was angry about the kiss, that he probably had the mistaken idea that Kagome really did love the wolf. Something had to be done to clear things up between them, or they would fall into even more ruin.

_It's up to me, I've got to do this!_

So, out of frustration at the hanyou, Shippou, perched on Kagome's shoulder, braced himself, and sent the first volley.

"InuYasha no baka! Get over yourself, everyone can see that Kagome doesn't love Kouga."

The hanyou went still. Sango and Miroku exchanged glances, foreboding clear in their eyes. Kagome, for her part, twisted her head to the kit, intending to shush him. She never got the chance.

"This is stupid. YOU'RE stupid. Kagome hasn't done anything wrong!"

The kit dug his claws into the miko's uniform, suppressing a shiver at his own audacity.

They were all going to owe him big time, if this worked.

"Why don't you just grow up, open your eyes to reality, and apologize, you blind dog!"

Sango and Miroku gasped, Kirara mewed in concern, and Kagome drew breath to speak, but the hanyou was faster than them all. One leap, and he had snatched the kit from the girl's shoulder, his fluffy tail in a death grip.

"What did you say, runt?" snarled InuYasha angrily.

The hanyou's golden eyes were narrowed, boring into the sparking green eyes of the fox.

Shippou, swinging almost upside down, gulped but pressed on. No one could do this but him, he kept reminding himself. He just hoped he survived.

"I said you were stupid! And blind! You're just angry that Kouga says all the things you won't, and that Kagome calls him a friend. But it's stupid, because anyone can see that she may like him, but she doesn't love him, BAKA!"

Deciding that things had gone far enough, indeed too far, Kagome spoke up.

"Shippou, that's enough. Leave-"

But the furious Inu hanyou cut her off.

InuYasha's eyes, burning with fury, and a deep, not quite hidden hurt, pinned Kagome to the spot.

"Not one word, wench. This is between the kit and me."

He punctuated this with a hard shake to said kit, earning him more spitted insults, along with growls and tiny snarls from his small captive.

Miroku, trying to be the peacemaker, stepped forward.

"InuYasha, it's been a long day, for all of us. Perhaps it's best if we continue on our way. Things will look brighter tomorrow."

The golden eyes cut to the monk. Ignoring the incredulous looks being thrown his way, and the sudden spike of anxiety that those gleaming eyes elicited, Miroku pressed on.

"Put Shippou down, he's only doing this to upset you further." He let just a bit of pleading enter his tone.

The hanyou snorted. Stupid monk. Stupid kit. Stupid all of them, really. He hadn't meant to respond to the baiting, but it had been just too much. That kiss…

Sneering, InuYasha threw the till struggling kitsune over his shoulder, and turned back to the trail. Better to act like nothing had happened, like he didn't care at all.

Kagome went to the kit, squatting close, both to soothe and quiet him, but before she could pull him into her lap, he had regained his equilibrium, leaped up and shouted at the retreating back of the hanyou.

"You're just jealous that she kissed him and not you! Baka InuYasha, you're such an idiot, why would she want to kiss you anyway!" All his frustration and bitterness spilled over into Shippou's voice, and he was on the verge of tears. This just had to work, it had to!

The hanyou froze, ears twitching wildly.

Nails digging into his palms, body painfully stiff, he barely got the next words out - the words that would seal his fate.

"Why would I want to kiss HER anyway? Feh, it's obvious that she doesn't really know how."

The collective gasp was louder this time, and the tension became painful. Out of pure self preservation, everyone took a big step back.

Everyone but Kagome, who had neither moved nor spoken, but remained crouched next to the defiant Shippou.

Hands on his hips, tiny fangs bared, the kit spat back with even more vigor.

"And just what would YOU know about it? Huh? How would you know?"

Gathering his determination, InuYasha retaliated. He was desperate to erase and ignore the pain the fox's words brought, as well as the truth he heard in them. Swinging around, bringing his hands into his sleeves, he faced the group with contempt. He steeled himself for the hurt he would bring, as well as the 'osuwari' that was sure to follow.

"Because THAT sure wasn't any kiss I'd want. Humph, like she was kissing her grandfather. It's plain she's not a good kisser at all."

The group took another step back. Kagome, still in her crouch, back to them all, flexed her fingers against the earth a time or two, and then began to rise, slowly.

InuYasha felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

_Oh, shit. I've done it now._

The miko raised her head, straightening her spine. Very slowly she turned, and InuYasha

braced himself. But what he got was not what he expected, at all.

Kagome faced him, her face blank, but then one ebony brow rose, and she eyed InuYasha with a calculating air. As if she were sizing him up, taking his measure.

The hanyou shivered.

_Damn, she's hot when she does that! _He thought.

Finishing her perusal, Kagome brought her eyes up to InuYasha's, and all his thoughts left him. Her eyes were gleaming, almost swirling, and there was a hidden power there- and knowledge he had no inkling of. The hanyou was suddenly scared out of his wits.

"Oh, really?" Kagome purred.

Her voice was soft, slow, and almost sultry. It was daring him to defy her, to challenge her further.

InuYasha was rooted to the ground. He could not find his voice.

_Holy shit!_

Every instinct he had was screaming at InuYasha to run. But whether it towards the miko or away from her, he could not tell. Kagome flicked her eyes once more over him, and began to move.

Slowly, smoothly she walked to him. All the earlier tension was gone from her, and now she had a sensuous slink to her step. InuYasha gulped. He wanted to flee, he really did, but the look in her eyes, the sway of her hips……he gulped again.

_Me and my big mouth._

The hanyou was certain Kagome was setting him up for the sitting of his life, and it had his heart racing and blood pounding. By the time the miko reached him, his ears were flat to his head.

Kagome gave one last amused glance up and down the hanyou, and allowed a small, secretive smile to touch her lips. InuYasha tensed, if possible, even further.

Locking her eyes to his, Kagome reached out a slender hand, and laid it upon InuYasha's chest. He could feel the heat of it all the way through his clothes. Slowly, in no great hurry, she traced the folds of his haori, up, down, across to his shoulders and back. Eventually she worked a finger or two under the cloth. Her eyes never left his.

The miko's other hand came up, lightly stroking InuYasha's arm, feeling the bunched muscles there.

The first hand had now met skin, and upon this first contact, he jumped. Kagome's smile grew. So did his anxiety.

What was she doing?

Taking her time, as if she had all day, Kagome moved the fabric out of the way and ran her hand over the smooth broad planes of his chest. At some length, her hand made its way up and to trace his collar bone.

Over and over she did this, never breaking visual contact, and not saying a word.

Gradually, when he though he would shatter from the strain, he felt her slim, warm fingers glide up and cup the back of his neck.

She stroked there a while, taking in the softness of his skin. The heat of his pulse pounded against her fingertips.

The first touch of her hands in his hair brought his ears straight up, and eyes wide open.

He tried to find words, he really did. But his mouth was dry as cotton, and his thoughts as jumbled as the Ramen she brought him. There was no way this could end well for him.

Massaging his scalp, moving her fingers in slow circles, she brought her other hand up to join the first. Kagome ran the fingers of one hand through the silver strands, following them all the way to the ends of his forelocks. Giving them a last, loving pat, the girl once more made her way back up. She had almost reached his ears, teasing him with near touches, ghosting closer, when she retreated. He wanted to whine.

Kagome tracked the line of his jaw, down the ridge of his throat, and back up. Her other hand continued to flicker in his hair.

Up to his eyebrows, tracing them with the lightest of touches, down the bridge of his long aristocratic nose, before stopping, hovering over his lips.

That he wasn't panting and drooling was a miracle.

Slowly, agonizingly, she drew that slender digit over his lips. Back, forth, tracing the contours of his mouth, as if memorizing them.

She tilted her head then, as though to gauge his reaction. Whether she approved or not he could not say, as her emotions remained hidden behind that damnable smirk.

Again her hands found his hair, rubbing gently. And then she reached his ears.

She did not retreat this time, but gripped them firmly and carefully began to stroke.

He almost buckled at the knees.

"Ka…Kagome, what are you…." But he never finished the sentence. She went on tiptoe and brushed her lips against his. The hanyou's eyes went from half mast from the ear rubbing, to wide open at her touch.

Pulling back from him, Kagome then took hold of either of his forelocks, and tugged.

InuYasha, still dazed and shocked at her behavior, did not resist.

"Oh, really?" She murmured, eyes sparkling. He opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off once again. The heat of her, the feel of her breath on his skin, and then, contact!

Her mouth set firmly against his, her eyes open all the while, watching him, gauging.

He was confused and delighted, shocked and fearful. He still feared a sit.

Her mouth softened, and as she made to retreat, he couldn't help it, he whined.

_Ah, hell._

The smirk widened. Again Kagome drew close, her hands now cupping the hanyou's head, working back towards his ears. Once, twice, she stroked her mouth over his. Once more, and he felt the velvety heat of her tongue.

InuYasha did not think it was possible to become more tense, but he did. Never breaking eye contact, Kagome ran her tongue over his lips, gently, slowly. Top lip, bottom lip. Then she changed course and began pressing small, light kisses at the corners of his mouth, down to his chin, across the line of his jaw.

The hanyou jerked badly when she nipped him there, lightly. All the while Kagome's fingers worked his ears, and her eyes watched him. He was burning.

Again she attacked his mouth, licking and biting gently, drawing his lip into the warm cavern of her mouth, to suckle it tenderly. He was just about to take control of the situation when she stopped again.

Tilting her head to the other side, Kagome once again blazed a path up InuYasha's cheek, across his brow, and down his nose. She feathered her lips over his lashes, both of them feeling the tickle. Down his other cheek, more jaw nips and kisses, and she stopped again.

InuYasha's hands itched to grab her. To fling her over his shoulder and run off with her, where they could finish this properly. He had a fleeting thought about where Kagome would have learned this, and was about to demand an answer, when she tightened her hands about his head. Looking him straight in the eye, she leaned forward, pressed her warm mouth to his, and ran her tongue inside his mouth.

It felt like lightening. Like a thousand explosions going off, all throughout InuYasha's body. The inferno that Kagome had started had ignited shivers in him, and he felt his youki howl.

Kagome rubbed her tongue against his, stroking, teasing. Explored the depths of his mouth, laved his fangs with a loving touch. One last flicker of her tongue, and she again suckled his lip. Nipped him sharply, then attacked his mouth again, more insistent.

"Give me your tongue, InuYasha." The words were breathed into the kiss, the flavor of her making him light-headed. Again she explored. Rubbed and stroked, before drawing him into her mouth completely. Pulled and sucked, driving him into a near frenzy.

He answered her, tentatively rubbing back, wanting to do it right. Her mouth was sweet,

warm and inviting, and the more he kissed her the less he wanted to stop.

InuYasha was unaware of their friends, of Naraku, the jewel. There was only Kagome, and this kiss. His mouth and hers, dueling, fighting, sharing. It was heaven.

All too soon it came to an end. Kagome gave the hanyou one last stroke, and stepped back from him. He was gasping, flushed, ears perked straight. She glanced him up and down, gave him another smirking grin, as though she were well pleased with his condition. Once again she purred at him.

"Oh, really InuYasha?"

And Kagome turned on her heel and sauntered back to their gape mouthed friends, skirt swishing. InuYasha could only stare, trying to regain his breath and his equilibrium.

His mind was still jumbled, but one thought ran clear.

_How can I get her to do that again?_

_SSSSSSSSSS_

Finis


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